Chitin is one of the most abundant
biopolymers widely distributed in the marine and terrestrial environments.
Chitinase enzyme has received increased attention due to its wide range of
biotechnological applications. Aspergillus terrus was found to be a
good chitinase producer among the five fungi isolated from different soil
samples from Al-Jouf city, Saudi Arabia. Maximum production of chitinase was
obtained when using 2% of Shrimp-shell powder as a sole carbon source in the
fermentation medium. The high level of chitinase production was observed in
the culture medium with pH 5 at 30°C for five days at shaking conditions.
Some properties of the crude chitinase were studied. In the present study,
the antifungal activity of crude A. terrus chitinase was investigated
against Apergillus
niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Pencillum oxysporium, Rhizoctonia
solani, Fusarium oxysporium, Rhizopus sp. and Mucor sp.
and also estimated. The chitinase was found to inhibit the growth of some
phytopathogenic fungi tested. The present work provides a suitable medium
composition for enhancement of chitinase production by A. terrus
and some properties of crude enzyme. Moreover, the study reflects the
potential of A. terrus chitinase for biotechnological application.

المؤتمرات العلمية:

المؤتمر (1):

عنوان المؤتمر:

SEB(Society for Experimental
Biology) Annual Meeting 2014

تاريخ الإنعقاد:

01/07/2014

بلد
ومكان الإنعقاد:

Manchester.
UK

طبيعة المشاركة:

Poster

عنوان المشاركة:

Roots,
Soil and Phytoremediation. A fine-scale investigation of the potential of
cereal roots in the phytoremediation of industrial phenolics.

موجز عن المشاركة:

The dynamic fine-scale heterogeneity of
the root-soil interface (rhizosphere) provides many challenges for the
experimentalist. An example of this is the investigation into the mechanisms
that may provide valuable routes to the use of plants to clean up polluted
environments (phytoremediation). Root
function can vary at the sub-mm level as cells differentiate and mature along
the axis. Simultaneously polluted soil can be heterogeneous and exhibit
gradients at similar resolution. To
describe and interpret this situation, we have applied techniques previously
developed to study variation between individual plant cells (SiCSA; Single Cell
Sampling and Analysis). Glass microcapillaries mounted on a micromanipulator
are used to sample the moisture of soil microcosms in which plants are
growing. Volumes of 2-3 nanolitres, occupying a soil volume of sub-mm
dimensions, are isolated and analysed by capillary electrophoresis. Previous work has demonstrated the dynamic
localised changes of organic acids and heavy metal in the rhizosphere.
Organic pollutants of lower polarity, such as phenol, chlorophenol and
nitrophenol offer different technical challenges. This poster presents the results of work in
progress in this matter. (elpec9@bangor.ac.uk)